Vizzuality playbook in progress
This project is maintained by Vizzuality
Competencies describe the knowledge, skills, behaviors, attributes, abilities, and attitudes that are essential to achieving the results expected.
A competency is a significant talent, skill, or proficiency that helps an individual generate superior performance.
Generating results.
Setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress against them, giving feedback and ensuring delivery.
Addressing performance problems and issues promptly.
Organizing and prioritizing work, by responding to conflicting needs or seeking assistance when they arise.
Step 1
I approach tasks with a “can-do” attitude, promptly notify colleagues about any problems and seek feedback from my peers.
I use systems to organize and keep track of information and work progress that my peers and clients can understand and verify.
I set, with my team, specific, measurable goals with clear dates for accomplishment.
I seek the information, resources, and training needed to accomplish my work effectively.
Step 2
I stay informed about my own and my team’s progress and performance, deal firmly and promptly with problems and act with flexibility to improve.
I can effectively handle several problems or tasks at once, make decisions, prioritize and take pragmatic compromises in difficult, urgent or ambiguous situations.
I have a strong sense of urgency about solving problems and getting work done and maintain commitment to goals in the face of obstacles and frustrations over time.
Step 3
I ensure that the individuals and the team have clear (challenging but achievable) goals and responsibilities
I support team members in their efforts to achieve job goals (e.g., by providing resources, removing obstacles) and stay informed about progress and performance.
I find or create ways to measure and improve performance against goals, provide specific performance feedback, both positive and corrective, and deal firmly and promptly with performance problems.
I let people know what is expected of them and when.
Ensuring the quality of our individual work and projects.
Demonstrating concern for satisfying customers and users, anticipating their needs and seeking value for them.
Ensuring that one’s own and team’s work are complete, accurate and have the best possible quality.
Step 1
I quickly and effectively solve customer problems, let them know I’m willing to work with them and follow up to make sure they are satisfied.
I make sure my work is correct before delivering it, testing it against the specifications, objectives and quality standards.
I prepare for meetings and presentations.
I organize information or materials for others who need to follow up with my work or supervise it making sure it has the expected quality and it is documented.
Step 2
I verify requirements and tasks are aligned to project and client’s goals, carefully review and check the quality of information and materials provided by clients or peers and help them solve any issues I find.
I monitor the quality of work, not just when doing it, but further in the development and through project delivery, critically reflecting back on its quality contribution to the project.
I work cooperatively with others to produce creative and innovative solutions that improve the quality of the work as a whole.
Step 3
I develop better and faster ways to do things and achieve greater quality in less time, and share them with others in the team.
I anticipate client’s and project’s needs and propose, sponsor or develop new products, services, methods or approaches that enhance quality.
I find ways to measure and track customer satisfaction and setup procedures to ensure high quality of work.
Working cooperatively in a team
Supporting the team. Being aware of others’ concerns and communicating this awareness empathetically.
Understanding the team’s goals and mission, and acting to achieve them.
Willing to modify one’s preferred way of doing things, to understand and appreciate different perspectives on an issue, and to adapt an approach as the requirements change.
Step 1
I listen and respond constructively to other team members’ ideas, offer support to their proposals, and provide assistance to others when they need it.
I reinforce team members for their contributions but also give honest and constructive feedback.
I carry my fair share of the workload, take responsibility for my own mistakes and do not blame others when things go wrong.
Step 2
I share my expertise with others and seek opportunities to work on teams as a means to develop my own experience, and knowledge.
I work for solutions that all team members can support and agree upon.
I provide assistance, information, and other support to others.
Step 3
I provide opportunities for people to learn to work together as a team and enlist the active participation of everyone.
I recognize and encourage the behaviors that contribute to teamwork and ensure that all team members are treated fairly.
I promote cooperation with other work units and client’s staff.
Being able to understand a project, and any assigned tasks.
Communicating challenges, blockers and choices made.
Being able to explain complex concepts in english, in both spoken and written form.
Understanding others points of views and finding ways to come to a positive outcome even in the face of complicated problems and differences of opinion.
Step 1
I ensure that information is passed on to others who should be kept informed.
I communicate ideas and information (often technical) in writing to ensure that information and messages are understood and have the desired impact.
I express myself clearly in conversations and interactions with others.
I speak and write English at level B2.
Step 2
I interpret the needs of our customers and peers and respond to their needs.
I solve conflicts with my peers and clients successfuly and non-violently.
I speak and write English at level C1.
Step 3
I represent Vizzuality at high level events and meetings.
I successfuly negotiate with clients and stakeholders to achieve results that help the success of Vizzuality.
I speak and write English at level C2.
Understanding what is needed to deliver a task to the best possible standard.
Paying attention to the quality of what we do in any task. Leaving no i without a dot and no list unsorted.
Keeping best practices and standards in mind, as well as thinking on how to improve them.
Knowing that our work, our skills and our processes can also be improved.
Step 1
I have training and skills as defined in my role’s specifications for junior level.
I regularly improve my skills receiving training or learning by myself.
I have basic knowledge of areas not directly related to my area (eg data visualization or climate change when I’m a front end engineer).
I can work successfuly on scoped problems with little direction and review
Step 2
I have training and skills as defined in my role’s specifications for mid level.
I teach varying levels of skills and tools relted to my area to groups or individuals.
I demonstrate deep kowledge in other domains such as our clients’ problem spaces.
I can deliver substantial features with no direction or need for review.
Step 3
I demonstrate outstanding depth of knowledge, performance and skill in my technical area.
I demonstrate deep kowledge in various domains such as our clients’ problem spaces, leadership, resource management etc.
I designin, own, and run entire projects or systems fully autonomously.
Understanding that actions have consequences, and we should work to be proud of all of them.
Taking credit where credit is due, and assuming mistakes when they happen.
Knowing that only by taking responsibility you can make the change you seek.
I take an active role and responsibility in company decisions and improvements.
I diagnose and solve company problems and seize opportunities for it to improve.
I am trusted by the executive team and my peers to make decisions that affect the whole company.
Making decisions, knowing when to delegate, and trusting in others.
Looking beyond the now, and into the future.
Thinking of others, of the company and of the planet.
I manage projects, functional areas, processes or substantial company resources.
I influence significantly the future direction of the overall business with my actions and decisions.
I lead team and company efforts, set and monitor goals (often financial) and take full responsibility for the results.
Understand the standards the best practices and how to go beyond them.
Work to achieve the most impact with the most useful solutions.
I design and implement products, methods or approaches to track and improve performance, quality, customer satisfaction and impact.
I devise new ways to better achieve our purpose and improve our performance, onboard others, and drive their implementation.
I create new knowledge or business areas that improve our company significantly.